Captain Linebeck's Notebook
by Midnightshadow001
Summary: Little did Jolene know Linebeck had been taking notes. Little did everyone else know Linebeck had a heart. And little did Linebeck know he would discover it as a different quest overlapped his journey with Link. Linebeck x Jolene, Fatherly Linebeck   Link
1. Note 1: Never sail through Rainstorms!

_Note 1: Never sail through a rainstorm!_

Linebeck was in a good mood. The sun shone brightly, the wind was in his hair, the seagulls soared beside the ship, and crazy Jolene was nowhere in sight. After Link had to battle her a few days before, Linebeck seemed to be on edge, maybe even paranoid. But that was the past, for today was a beautiful day indeed.

_Was_ a beautiful day.

As Linebeck gripped the wooden ship wheel he peered at the blue horizon before him. A rarely seen smile was on his face; they were making good timing for Molida Island after trying to find the Ghost Ship within the fog (despite the fact that they found an angry woman instead). Even the kid was happy, and though Linebeck would never admit it in a million years, he was glad to see the shrimp be all smiles. Oh, it was smooth sailing…until the blue horizon suddenly mixed into a darkened grey.

It started as a drop.

There was a tiny drop of water; Linebeck felt it land right on his cherry red nose, and as he watched the seagulls turn away from the ship, he knew something was wrong.

"Hey kid." Linebeck furrowed his brow at the weather as Link ran to the upper deck.

"Yeah?" He asked innocently.

"Kid," There was another drop of water, and Linebeck murmured cautiously, "Remember what I told you about storms?"  
>"You mean the emergency procedures?" Ciela piped up.<p>

"Yeah Sparkles," The drops became more and more frequent, "The emergency prodecures. Kid, go weigh anchor."  
>"Are you kidding me?" Ciela shouted, "How do you expect poor Link to lift tha-"<p>

All of a sudden lightning streaked the sky, along with the roar of thunder rumbling in the background. Rain began to downpour on the ship, and Linebeck's eyes widened as he noticed the ship was slowly bobbing up and down on the unstable waves. The green clad hero beside him immediately ran to the lower deck and began dragging the heavy anchor toward the edge of the ship. Linebeck's hold on the wheel tightened as he flung it furiously to the right in an effort to steer the ship away from the apparent danger.

"Kid, hurry up with the anchor!" He shouted as the waves toyed with the ship dangerously. Link had the anchor almost to the edge of the ship, however as the ship rocked back and forth he was pulled backwards by the force of gravity and let go of the anchor.

"Argh!" His attempt to steer the ship away was fruitless; the only way the ship would make it through the storm was if that anchor was dropped into the ocean. The frantic captain let go of the wheel and ran down to the lower deck, causing the ship to lose control and begin twisting through the storm. More lightning fired across the clouds as Linebeck grabbed Link and they both tried to get the anchor to the edge of the ship once more. The raging seas were shaking the ship dangerously, causing the duo to lose their balance and fall once again.

"AAH!"  
>The waves did a juggling act with the ship and tossed both of the passengers overboard, along with various barrels scattered on the deck. Linebeck flailed in the air before plunging into the sea, and panic set in as he surfaced and gasped for air as he thrashed around in the water. What was happening to the ship? How was he going to get back on? Was he drowning? Where was the kid? Oh no, what the heck was happening?<p>

"Kid? Kid! Kid, where are you? Sparkles! Answer me, damn fairy!"

But despite his cries, the only thing Linebeck saw was a half-wrecked ship being carried away by the waves and the eerie clouds looming above him.

Link was nowhere in sight.

…

His eyes opened slowly.

He had woken up to the calming sounds of the ocean and the salty taste of the air floating through the rather large porthole on the wall next to the bed. He had no idea where he was, which irked him despite the fact that he had gotten an amazing rest. What happened? Why was he here?And why was he in some old clothes? Linebeck pushed the questions back and layed down on the soft bed to stretch. He had to admit; though he could not remember much he knew he got a very good sleep.

He had actually…relaxed.

The first thing he noticed about the room he was in was the numerous treasures and knick-knacks decorating the walls. Whether it was jewelry, ships in bottles, treasure maps, or swords, they were all hanging upon the walls like prizes. Various paintings had been hung up as well however Linebeck had no energy to focus his blurred vision enough to see what was depicted on them. Beside him, on a nightstand, were a tiny portrait, various empty potion bottles, an unlit lantern, and a bowl of seashells for decoration.  
>Linebeck groaned.<p>

The door creaked open. Linebeck dragged himself into an upright position to catch a glimpse of his caretaker.

"GAH!"

Linebeck nearly jumped from the bed as the shock jolted his eyes into a fully awake mode. The person walked up to the bed, causing Linebeck to grab the covers as if they would shield them from the approching person. It was a beautiful young woman with dark brown hair pulled up into a pony tail, exotic eyes, a deep tan, and a pirate outfit.

"J-Jolene."

"Hello, Linebeck."

The woman acknowleged his presence without threatening him; now Linebeck knew something was wrong. Why was he in Jolene's care? Was he on her ship? What was she doing with a new bottle of red potion within her hand?

"W-what am I doing here?" He asked. She glaced at him with surprise momentarily flashing across her eyes.

"You don't remember?"  
>"I…," Linebeck cluctched his forhead in thought, "I remember a giant storm…and floating around in the ocean…"<p>

There was a moment of silence as Linebeck attempted to recollect every last detail. Meanwhile, Jolene popped the bottle of red potion and handed it to him.

"Drink it." The woman commanded. Linebeck stared at the bottle for a moment. Should he take it? This was Jolene; if he remembered correctly, the last time they met she wanted to kill him.

"N-No."  
>"Linebeck," The words were spoken with restrained annoyance; "These potions got your health back from your half-drowned state. If you don't drink it I will personally shove it down your throat." With that she tossed a glare his way, causing him to tremble slightly.<p>

"B-but I'm alright now…I don't really need to take potions anymore…" Jolene sighed angrily, closed the potion bottle, and threw it at Linebeck.  
>"Fine! Don't take it! But you'll be sorry when you catch the flu from floating out at sea for so long! Don't come crying to me when that happens!" Linebeck picked up the bottle from the bed, twitching slightly as he uncorked it. It looked alright; maybe Jolene wasn't trying to knock him out. After all, she would have just left him in the sea if she really disliked him. He took a swig of the potion and made a sour face.<p>

"Still making your own potions?" Linebeck threw a glance up at Jolene, who crossed her arms and huffed. Long ago, when he was sailing with her, they had talked about their pasts together. Although the memories were now hazy from all of the years that passed, Linebeck could have sworn Jolene said she was once an assistant in a potion shop where she studied medicine. The skills she obtained were certainly useful when being injured out in the middle of the ocean.

"It's not bad," He took another sip and murmured, "You've improved on the flavor."  
>After he finished off the cherry potion, the sea captain placed the bottle on the table next to him and positioned himself so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Jolene lifted an eyeb row.<p>

"What do you think you're doing?"  
>"Well, since I'm okay, I might as well go find my treasure dog."<p>

"Your _what?"_

"Link."  
>"The little blonde shrimp that sails with you? What happened to him?" Jolene's voice became slightly more anxious as she gazed at Linebeck expectantly.<p>

"I dunno. He probably fell off of the ship like I did. I couldn't find him in the stor-OUCH!"  
>Jolene was fuming as her hand collided with Linebeck's cheek. Oh, she knew what he was doing! What a big jerk! Just when she thought he was finally going soft by letting some kid sail with him!<p>

"W-What the hell was that for?" He gripped his stinging face and glared furiously at her.  
>"Shut up, Linebeck! That kid put his life on the line to protect you from me before, and when he gets lost out <em>at sea for goodness sake<em> you just casually say 'oh, my poor _treasure dog_' like it doesn't even bother you that he's in danger! All you were looking to get out of him was the treasure! I can't believe you played that kid for a fool just like you did to me!" She stopped and took a deep breath as her face was crimson with anger. Linebeck had, once upon a time, betrayed her for treasure. And now, he was using that poor little kid for treasure. Even though Jolene fought Link, she had much more respect for him than she ever will have for Linebeck. Link had courage, which was more than anyone could say for the pissed off man sitting before her.

"Why should I worry about Link? He goes into crazy dungeons and temples all the time! I have complete faith that if the kid is strong enough to fight giant monsters, he can make it through a storm." Stay calm, Linebeck! This is Jolene, remember? He hoped that she didn't want to kill him at this point, because if he played his cards right he could sail with her until he found Link.

"You better hope you can find him! If I find out that you used that kid for treasure, I'll wreck you Linebeck!" She began picking up the empty potion bottles on the nightstand. Maybe she should just smash one over that inconsiderate captain's head and call it a day.  
>"Jolene."<br>"What?" She said sharply.  
>"C-Can I…stay on your ship?"<p>

The brunette she-pirate whirled around to face him.

"Excuse me?"  
>"J-Just until I find Link!" Linebeck squeaked under her gaze. Now that she thought about it, she should keep Linebeck on the ship. Not only can she force him to do the chores, but she can also make him take responsibility for his actions and find Link. Knowing Linebeck, he would probably just get drunk rather than search for the kid if she dropped the guy off on an island.<p>

"You can stay, Linebeck," He let out a breath of relief, but it was cut short, "Only if you _clean the ship_ and _do all of the chores_ while we go find this kid!"  
>"A-Alright."<p>

There was a pause in the conversation as the potion bottles clinked together when Jolene picked them up. Linebeck took a look at himself; he still had his pants, but the white shirt with puffy sleeves that covered his torso seemed unfamiliar.

"It's yours. You left it here…when you left me." Jolene caught him staring at his clothes. She still had some of his old belongings in a chest in the basement of the ship.

"Oh. Um…Thanks." He shifted uncomfortably within the awkward atmosphere, but a sudden pain within his shoulder caused him to cringe. His muscles began feeling sore as he moved around more often. By now, the nightstand was cleared of clutter, and Jolene shot a look at the wincing man.  
>"Where should we start looking for this kid?"<p>

Linebeck sighed. How was he supposed to know? It was almost impossible to find one little boy in all of the oceans! Perhaps they could go to the various islands and ask around? But even then, they wouldn't know. Link could have been out at sea for days. If only Linebeck was telepathic or psychic or somethi-

Wait. Psychic?

"The Isle of Ember! We can go ask the fortune teller Astrid!" Linebeck smirked, "We'll find Link in no time!" Jolene nodded.

"Fine. I'll set a course there. But the moment we find Link, I'm dumping you off at Mercay." She turned to leave, but before she opened the door she spoke, "By the way, I want my bed back. There's a hammock set up in the lower cabin. I want you out before nightfall."

And with that she disappeared.  
>Linebeck groaned. He can only hope that his ship wasn't too wrecked and that Link would appear.<p>

…With some treasure. 


	2. Note 2: Sea captains don't do chores!

_Note 2: Amazing Captains like me should NEVER have to do chores. _

For the S. S. Linebeck, the Isle of Ember would take just about a week to reach from the entrance between the boulder barriers that split the Southwestern seas in half. Linebeck, who was passing through the entrance at the moment, would never admit that to Jolene.

Because Jolene's ship could go faster.

"Grr! It must be from all of the chasing she does! Of course, she's updated her ship's parts for her_ hobby of chasing handsome, single, adventurous seafarers like me!" _ With that he smirked to himself. Jolene's ship may have been able to out run his, but once he finds the kid they would rebuild the ship so that it would leave Jolene in the dust…er…in the waves. Link was always finding expensive ship parts everywhere (which Linebeck may or may not have tried to sell to the treasure teller multiple times), so they would go back to Mercay and make the ship look cool. Almost as cool as himself.

And Jolene's boat would go from ship to _shrimp!_

"Oh really, Linebeck? We'll see about that. Why don't you get a torpedo cannon and then we'll talk? Or rather, why don't you actually get a ship first?" Jolene appeared behind him with a mop and a bucket occupying her hands. Linebeck nearly jumped out of his skin as he saw her giving him a cocky grin. He really needed to stop talking out loud.

"O-oh, hey there."  
>"Well, Linebeck, <em>my wonderful ship <em>should get us to the Isle of Ember in two or three days tops! And in the meantime," She smirked as she shoved the mop and bucket into Linebeck's hands, "You can make _my wonderful ship _absolutely spotless!"  
>"But-"<p>

"Hey, you agreed to it! You better start swabbing the deck before the afternoon is all over!" Jolene walked over to the wheel and started up the ship once more before beginning to steer. Oh, revenge was sweet.  
>Linebeck frowned as he dipped the broom into the bucket and then slapped it on the wooden floor. It was a good thing Sparkles wasn't there; she would've gasped in awe and mocked him for 'finally doing some work'. Just as long as no one ever found out back at Mercay that a she-pirate had Linebeck under her thumb, he was good. Besides, this was for Link; he needed to find him, and if that meant staying with Jolene, then he supposed that was what he had to do.<p>

Besides, he saw some treasure chests in her room.

"So, what have you been doing after you left?" Jolene may have sounded bored when she said it, but within her heart she felt a lingering pain. The day he took off with her treasure…

Linebeck gazed up at her. Even he knew, ever since Ciela suggested it to him, that Jolene was truly hurt by Linebeck.

"I…didn't do much. Just some treasure hunting…and a lot of deep sea fishing. For a while I was hired by the tavern at Mercay to import rum for them, but I don't remember much about those days." Jolene rolled her eyes. It figures.

"So that was all you did? Look for treasure, catch fish, and get drunk? How does the kid factor into this?" At this question, Linebeck sighed.

"It's a long story."  
>"We've got time."<br>"Well," Linebeck continued mopping the deck as he murmured, "I met the kid back at Mercay. Long story short, I let him sail on my ship, he went into a bunch of temples and fought some monsters, and now we're trying to find the Ghost Ship so he can save his friend Tetra."  
>"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jolene placed a hand on her face as she was deep in thought, "Let me get this straight: You let the kid on your ship? What was in it for you? And don't lie to me Linebeck; I know you don't care about the kid's friend!"<p>

Why was it that she always thought he was a jerk?  
>"Hey, the old man the kid was with tricked me first! He told me there would be treasure involved with this whole thing! Half the time I didn't even know Link was going into dungeons filled with crazy monsters! I thought he was excavating a bunch of old temples for gold!" Linebeck's frown deepened as he felt a slight anger towards himself. The kid had, for about a month, tried to hide all of his scars and wounds from Linebeck. Ciela grew so worried that she finally spoke up to Linebeck. He knew the temples had <em>some <em>monsters in it, but he had no idea it was that bad. Over the course of their adventure he realized that Link wasn't looking for treasure as much as he was looking for the spirits.

Linebeck truly thought it was a matter of running in, grabbing old artifacts and rupees, and running out.

But apparently it wasn't that easy. Linebeck tried, many times, not to get soft and care for the kid like some doting father, but seeing the shrimp injured that badly made Linebeck angry. Most of that frustration was aimed toward himself, however, because he was a coward and Link was not. He was fine and Link was not. Even when the shrimp needed help, whether it was someone to fix the physical wounds or comfort the emotional ones, it was difficult for Linebeck to be there for him.  
>It was easy for Linebeck to be soft. It was hard for him to express it.<p>

"Anyways, half of the stuff running around in his veins is potions." His olive eyes focused on the mopping. _Swish, swash. Just focus on the mopping, Linebeck._

Jolene gazed out at the open waters. On extremely rare ocassions, she would find out about a topic that Linebeck was sensitive about. She couldn't even remember the last time that had happened, but it was clear that Linebeck was regretting something. He obviously felt somewhat responsible for what happened to the kid.

Jolene almost smiled. There was someone in this world that Linebeck actually cared about.

Maybe he was soft.

"You missed a spot." Linebeck, who thought he was finished, brought the mop and the bucket up to Jolene, but upon hearing her words he turned to inspect the deck.

"I don't see anything."  
>"Right over there." Jolene pointed towards the staircase to the lower deck, and as the grumbling man set off to check it out, Jolene stuck out a foot in front of him.<br>"ACK!"

Linebeck tripped, sending the mop and the bucket up in the air, only to have them land on his head as he landed on the ground. He rolled over to glare up at snickering woman.

"Heheh, maybe you did do a good job, considering the floor was so wet that you slipped."

"Jol-"

"Ah, ah, ah, this is my ship, remember?" She yanked a compass out of her pocket and analyzed it for a moment before steering the ship south, "Anyways, since you're done with that, go release the sails. We're getting a good wind and I don't want to miss it. Oh, and bring me a snack! C'mon, get to it!"  
>"Fine…" Linebeck scowled and did as he was told.<p>

The majority of the day had gone by like that; nothing but taking orders and cleaning up the ship on Linebeck's part. They were making good timing, though, for the Isle, and Jolene wondered if they would see it any earlier than she had predicted. There was so much open water and such a faraway horizon that she couldn't help but wonder about the kid.

That kid could've been anywhere. _Anywhere._

As the sun slowly began to sink into the ocean, the S.S. Jolene entered its slumber. Normally, if Jolene were sailing with a crew, she would have put the first mate on night duty and have them continue sailing, however many knew that the best place to weigh anchor, should there be no islands nearby to dock, was behind one of the immensely huge boulders that lay randomly throughout the sea. It was a much better defense than staying within the open waters, where monsters and enemies could easily spot you.

And so, she forced Linebeck to haul out the anchor before she retreated to her cabin for a good night's rest. With her sword at her side, of course.

But this would not do. Even as night fell and she heard Linebeck's footsteps leading to the lower cabins, she couldn't help but lie awake, listening to the soothing sounds of the ocean. Her room was darkened, save for the moonlight that broke through her window and onto her like a spot light.  
>What had he said? That half that time, the kid's blood consisted of potions? Jolene knew what kind of a man Linebeck was. He was a cold-hearted, greedy, two-timing, egotistical –Ok, Linebeck was a lot of things in her mind. All this time she felt she could read him like a book. She thought she knew him.<p>

She thought.

The kid twisted things up. Jolene was still able to read the sea captain, and she knew that Link was Linebeck's only proof that he had a heart. The she-pirate couldn't remember a time, even when she and Linebeck had their moments, where she had seen him feel so…responsible for someone.

It was as if Link were his own child.

Jolene rolled over and attempted to drown out her thoughts for some sleep.

_Wait._

Her dark eyes snapped open.

_His._

_Own._

_Child._

That was it. Now it made sense. No wonder why Linebeck took the kid on a journey with him! That Link kid was Linebeck's child! That's why he felt so responsible for the shrimp! That's why the blondie was such a soft spot for him! No wonder why...

…Their eyes were so similar.

_But that would mean that Linebeck…The so-called Captain of the S. S. Linebeck…Did. Something. With. Another. Woman._

In an instant Jolene gripped her sword and marched into the hallway where she was greeted by two flights of stairs. Up or down? Her first choice was to go to the lower cabin and knock Linebeck clear out of ocean, but another idea popped into her head. Similar to before, why didn't she just keep him and make him do extra chores? This time she could purposely keep making him scrub the floors and haul out the anchor for no reason. She could work Linebeck until he didn't have the energy left for _any woman_.

"I need a drink." She muttered to herself and continued her journey to the upper deck.

Gorgeous as they were in the daytime, the oceans were even more captivating at nighttime. The moon glowed like the sky's night light, casting its pearly shine upon the waters below as if it were illuminating a path. Jolene sauntered up to the railing, rested her arms upon it, and sighed. The stars were all out that night, each a candle within the navy sky, forming various constellations that the pirate traced with her eyes. It was calm, the waves were relaxing, and a cool breeze brushed her hair over her shoulders.

Perhaps she ought to hold off of drinking.

After all, how could she order Linebeck around if she were fighting off a hangover the next day? Instead, she chose to savor the evening that settled upon the ocean. Many sleepless nights had come her way since Linebeck had left her; maybe they plagued her long before that. Sailing caused one to lose their sense of time, and their understanding of its flow. Back when she and Linebeck had something going on, they were what, nineteen or twenty years old? It was years later; they were still young, but their experiences caused them to mature far more than their appearances reflected.

Link appeared to be around ten or twelve years old. That meant that even when Linebeck was with Jolene, the kid was still in Linebeck's picture. He…and she…and Jolene didn't have a clue about the kid during that time.

As much as she wanted to scream in rage, she simply gazed at the ocean desolately.

"Where…where do we go from here?" She whispered.

Jolene didn't cry. Even when her heart was shattered in pieces by _that person_, she never let a tear slip. She was strong. She could handle it.  
>But every tear she kept within reflected more emptiness within her eyes.<p>

And right now, she felt pretty empty. All she needed was a reason why she shouldn't let Linebeck get eaten by a whale. She and Linebeck and known each other for years, and it turned out it was more of a lie that she thought it was. Linebeck was a father while the two of them had their fling. All she could do now was give an empty stare at the ocean and reflect upon her past.

_"Calm down, Jolene. Think of this rationally." _ Breathing deeply, the she-pirate attempted to calm herself. Sure, Linebeck lied to her. But if she were to do something to Linebeck, what would happen to the kid? In reality, it wasn't the kid's fault Linebeck was messing around with tons of women. But if he were really Linebeck's son, why would Linebeck let him go into dungeons and let him get hurt? Did he only worry about Link because of the treasure that he could get out of the kid?

Oh no. That did not go well in Jolene's book.

No, Jolene was not going to let Linebeck treat the kid the way he did her. What kind of a father was that guy, anyway? He was using his own kid to get treasure! Jolene gritted her teeth. A plan formulated in her mind; she was going to force Linebeck to _properly_ take care of the kid. She would make sure Linebeck didn't use that poor shrimp.

"_Linebeck, you fool. You use all of the people you should love."_

A breeze blew by, sending a shiver jolting through Jolene.

"Here."

She nearly jumped out of her pirate outfit and landed in the ocean where a hungry sea monster would have gobbled her up and left the S. S. Jolene in the care of the man who just appeared behind her with her coat.

Nearly.

She spun around and gazed up at a tired-looking, frowning Linebeck, who dangled her coat in front of her. "You left it by the wheel earlier." He said bluntly.

She tried to find some witty words for him, but she simply managed an, "Oh…Whatever!"

As she took her coat and threw it on, Linebeck strolled up beside her and gripped the railing, with his eyes taking in the view. Silence fell between them as they simply calmed themselves with the scene of the soothing waves. Jolene gazed up at the sky once more to analyze the stars, and they remained in that calm silence for what seemed like forever until Linebeck broke it.

"What are you looking at?"  
>"The stars." She replied bluntly without removing her gaze from the sky.<p>

"Oh," They were quiet for a moment before Linebeck took to the stars as well, "There's the constellation Keaton."  
>"Keaton?"<br>"A mythical fox with three tails. They were sneaky, but loved to reward good people by asking tricky questions. If you answered correctly, the Keaton would give you Rupees."

"Where is it?"

Jolene almost immediately regretted asking the question, for Linebeck suddenly drew very close to her in an effort to draw out the figure by pointing. As he moved close to her, her face lit up. It was very hard to concentrate on the stars.

"-and that's the tail."  
>Jolene did not reply, but instead she tried to focus on the shapes within the sky. "There's the King of the Red Lions. He helped the ancient hero out with his quest." She spoke.<p>

"Let me see." Unconciously, he neared her more, and she grew hesitant as she attempted to point out the outline of the constellation. He was now shoulder-to-shoulder with her; and though he seemed not to notice, Jolene was suddenly too warm for the jacket she was given by the man next to her.

"Oh, and right next to it is one of the fearsome, ancient Gerudo. I think it was Nabooru. See? That's her scimitar, that's her shape…"

With this, he turned to his side in an effort to show her the contstellation much better. As a natural reaction, she too turned to her side, so she was nearly face-to-chest with the sea captain.

"You know, she kind of reminds me of you-" Linebeck paused as he turned to look at her, only to find himself flushing red. He and Jolene were close, too close, with a foot of space between their faces. There was Jolene, gazing up at him with a blush on her tan complexion and a surprised sparkle within her eyes. She was close enough to see his equally shocked emerald eyes within the darkened night. She could even smell that familiar mixture of rum and the sea underneath the clean scent of soap that Linebeck used earlier.

It was so odd; this scene felt very nostalgic. It reminded her of a time years and years ago, when they were younger, the days were brighter, and life was more innocent and carefree. It was much like those instances where they lived in the moment and precious memories were made every day. She could still envision the shining shores, Linebeck's rarely seen smile, and the beautiful horizons that brought promises of the next day to them. The treasures were long forgotten within those days, as the true treasure lied in the happiness of their youth, where they celebrated all of their adventures. Those were the days when they looked to the future together.

But now…

Here they were; older and wiser.

Linebeck was redder than ever. He could almost feel the warmth radiating from her body; they were too close. A blush rose into his cheeks. Somewhere, deep within those chocolate eyes of hers, he could see that innocent twinkle that those orbs had held once upon a time. Very little changed with woman; the same dark hair and beautiful eyes and something other than a scowl on her face, just like she had been back in those days when Linebeck prided himself on his flirtatious ways. The only thing that was different was the time.

It had been years.

Years.

"U-uhm..." Jolene turned her head to the side, away from Linebeck, "I-I should get some sleep..."

She should pull away. She _needed _to. They may have had a 'once upon a time' together, but that was all it was; a 'once upon a time'. A time that had already passed. It was too late for regret and unsaid things. Jolene couldn't let this sweet scene mean anything to her. The fact was, Linebeck lied to her, took her treasure and ran. And if she were smart, she would let it go. Moreover, if she were a genius, she should have let go of it years ago.

_"Get over him. Just let this fling disappear."_

"O-ok." A flustered Linebeck replied, "B-but why did you come out here in the first place?"  
>Jolene was taken aback by the question, although she should have seen it coming. All of a sudden, a feeling of anger, almost hatred, for Linebeck had swelled up within her. This is what she got when she tried to leave it behind? He brought it up again! All of the painful memories, the reasons why she couldn't sleep for so many nights, and the reason why her personality had become so overwhelmed with anger and anguish. Maybe if she faced up to it, the memories would disappear. Perhaps by meeting her problems, she could erase the memories like the waves on the sand.<p>

Jolene narrowed her eyes and gazed at the floorboards.

"Is Link...or...well..." Did she really want to know? The truth could mean the difference between what she thought was a lie, and what could have been an even larger lie.

"Hmm?"

She wanted to know. If he was the kid's father, she was going to _make absolutely sure_ that he would take responsibility for Link.  
>"Are you the kid's father?" She blurted.<p>

The suspense couldn't stop her anymore, and her gaze lifted up to meet his stunned stare. What was that look within his eyes? A yes or a no?

"J-Jolene!" He yelled in shock at the statement, "I'm not related to Link!"

"Really?" She had sounded more hopeful than she wanted to, for Linebeck cocked an eyebrow at her odd behavior. What was up with her? Why did she think he was Link's father?  
>Oh. <em>Oh.<em>

"You think I-I did something with a-a woman?" He needed to be extremely careful; who knew how angry Jolene may be from this idea?  
>"Did you?" She shot him an accusing glance, to which he threw his hands up defensively and shook his head. But what if he was lying? Trust wasn't an easily mended thing for Jolene. He could have been lying. Heck, he probably was!<p>

"You liar!" She crossed her arms and looked out at the ocean. She was too tired to argue, and though she was secretly feeling relieved, her mind convinced her that she was too far gone from Linebeck to let herself care. No, she didn't want to know about any woman in Linebeck's life. Linebeck didn't matter to her anymore.  
>"You know what? I don't care," She muttered, "You can lie to me all you want."<p>

Linebeck furrowed his brow, "I'm not lying, Jolene!"  
>"Whatever! As if I care!"<br>"Jolene," She was forced to look back up into his eyes as he spoke firmly, "You can go ask Old Man Oshus. Link is not my kid!"  
>"I said I didn't care, didn't I?" Jolene growled and turned away to stare out at the open seas.<br>There was another long stretch of silence between them as Linebeck looked up at the stars once more. He was beginning to understand Ciela's words to him. Even though he had denied it himself, there was still a wound between them; something that didn't heal. If he were to look at his reflection, he would probably be hate it, because he knew what he did was wrong, even though he did it anyways. Somewhere, deep within him, Linebeck really regretted it. The problem, though, was that pride always got in the way.  
>"What did you do when...we were apart?" Linebeck asked slowly.<p>

Jolene smirked. When 'we' were apart. When 'we' ended. Linebeck must've realized how hard it was to reference that time of their lives.

"If I tell you, you're going to do more chores," She paused, wondering if she ought to even speak to him, "I visited my sister and spent some time with her. Then I tried to steer straight for a while and studied medicine. It was profitable for a bit. I bought a little cabana with it. After that...I went travelling around under pirate colors and tried to find treasure...I even partnered up with a few other pirates along the way..." She stopped as if she had said too much. Why was she telling Linebeck her life story? Perhaps the sea salt got to her head. Or perhaps she simply wanted to make it seem as if she had gotten over him and completely forgot about him.

"Anyways, now that you know, you'll be doing extra swabbing tomorrow." This sentence didn't faze him though. It seemed as if he were mulling over the information she had just given him.

"So..." Linebeck attempted to sound like he did not care, "How'd it go with the pirates?"

"I ditched them," She sighed, "Tried to work solo a little bit. Then..."

"Yes?" She kept her gaze away from him.

"I heard that the great and wonderful Captain Linebeck was after the Ghost ship, and that sounded like something I had to see. You? After a Ghost ship? Not in a million years." Jolene scoffed.

"Only if there was treasure involved." For a brief moment, the two exchanged amused looks, but that was immediately wiped off as the reality of the situation set in. The two adults realized that they were alone on the deck, having moonlight conversations about their past and standing close to each other as they observed the starlight.

It certainly wasn't alright.

"Do you think we'll find him?" Linebeck asked in an attempt to change the atmosphere. There was a hint of worry in his voice, which caused her to glance over at the man.

"I...think so."  
>She didn't know why she said that. Why didn't she just say the truth? The kid was probably gone. Yet...for some reason...she didn't want to hurt him with those words. And besides, she wanted to find the kid, so that Linebeck could learn from his mistakes when it came to treating people.<br>Maybe she was going soft. Or it was probably the sea salt.

"Get some sleep." The brunette attempted to make her way to the stairs. The unwanted conversation with Linebeck had gone on long enough.  
>"Jolene."<br>She froze in her tracks and slowly gazed over her shoulder at him.

Linebeck, for a moment, looked like he had years ago, when he stood out on that deck just like he used to, grinning at her as they conversed about their adventures over a glass of wine. Under the navy sky, she could make out his charming eyes, funny hair, and sheepish smile, a poor attempt on his part to escape any potential wrath from Jolene. He still looked handsome to her, no matter how much she denied it.

"Um…Good night."

There were a lot of things that needed to be said between them.  
>However, she felt there was a time and place for everything. Maybe next time, on some other, restless night, they would talk…<p>

"…Good night."

Jolene left it at that for now.

They needed their rest for the morning.

…

Happy Holidays, everyone! Thank you for your lovely reviews!


	3. Note 3: Chivalry isn't dead!

_Note 3: Chivalry is not dead, and neither am I!_

"Damn it."

Linebeck sat upright in his hammock and rubbed his aching eyes. Though dawn was just arriving, the S. S. Jolene seemed to be moving. The oddness of that idea didn't even register to the disheveled Linebeck, who couldn't help but feel…

…worried.

He should have had a drink last night; maybe that would have suppressed the horrible nightmare he had witnessed in his subconscious mind. All he could do was replay the frightening scene his imagination had produced: the storm attacking the ship, items flying everywhere, Link being knocked out by a barrel and plunging into the ocean where he lay unconscious and…

"Urgh..." Linebeck shook the thoughts away. The sea captain had seen some wild things in his time, which had an influence on his weird dreams. Even though he tried to tell himself that Link could not have been hit by a flying barrel, it did not calm the man's anxiety.

The kid was alive. He had to be. Link and Sparkles were probably somewhere on a nearby island, hanging out under the palm trees, sipping a drink from a coconut.

And if they were, Linebeck was going to smack the kid upside the head for making him worry.

Chores. He ought to go to the upper deck and immerse himself in chores in order to pass the time, because sitting around doing nothing would only drive him even more insane, if that were possible. Not only that, but there was absolutely nothing to do on the ship, since the she-captain's eye was on him every moment they sailed together. Besides, maybe they could talk…er…non-violently. Way back in the day, Jolene was the only person who was ever able to make him forget his worrie-

Chores! Go do some chores, Linebeck!

Stretching, he yawned and began getting dressed. It was barely even morning and yet here he was, up and about. Usually Ciela would fly into his room and attempt to wake him up so they could continue sailing, but Linebeck would protest until she mentioned letting Link steer the ship, to which he would be on his feet in an instant. No matter how much experience the kid was said to have had with sailing, there was no way the S. S. Linebeck would be left in the care of a kid. Not unless Linebeck had finally fallen off of his hammock.

Ambling upstairs, the weary sailor caught sight of Jolene steering with one hand and gazing through a spyglass with the other. For some reason she had been extremely focused on the horizon, however this did not stop her from seeing Linebeck make his way up to her.

"Uhm…g-good morning?"

"Hm?" Jolene lowered her spyglass, "Oh…Linebeck." She nodded in acknowledgment and then quickly returned her eyesight to something she had spied far off in the distance.

Was this it?

"J-Jolene…how long have you been out here?" Had she wanted to get rid of Linebeck so badly that she woke up early to sail and cut short this unexpected adventure of theirs?

"I woke up five minutes ago."

This was a complete lie; ever since their awkward conversation the previous night, Jolene could not sleep. Counting treasure couldn't even place her in a slumber. Instead of rolling over in bed for the rest of the night, the woman simply stayed up and sailed in the moonlight. They had gotten pretty far too; Jolene was almost certain they were a few hours away from reaching the Isle, should the wind continue to be on their side.

But that Isle wasn't what she was focused on.

"What are you looking at?"

"Hush, Linebeck!" Her pupils widened at the sight. It wasn't like anything she had ever seen! Sure, there had been times where she had come into contact with sea monsters (not willingly, of course) but this time avoiding it would been nearly impossible. Even though there was a vast distance between them, that distance was closing quickly, for it had a single eye as enormous as its slimy head which it used to spot them…

…and it had ten arms which it used to propel itself quickly towards the ship.

"Linebeck, come here." Her voice was a deadly whisper, which Linebeck knew from past experiences meant that she was preparing for something perilous. He shivered as the air suddenly began to grow colder. Jolene had her eyes glued to the spyglass; in a minute or so, she would not even need it to see the monster headed their way.

"Is something…going on?" Linebeck asked uneasily. Jolene gritted her teeth.

"Of course something's going on! Now, you better listen to me Linebeck, and you better listen well, or else both of us will wind up like Link." Jolene finally pried her eye away from the sight in order to throw her serious expression at the trembling seafarer, "In my cabin there is a closet across from my bed. Inside there should be a couple of harpoons. I want you to take this key, go into my cabin, and come back to me with only a harpoon and no treasure. If I catch you with anything other than a harpoon, I will throw you overboard for that sea monster. Am I clear?"

Linebeck's face had drained of all color, and he stood stone still.

"I said am I clear?"

No words came out of his mouth. His head creaked up and down as a petrified nod, and he grabbed the key and rushed to the lower cabins.

Jolene kept a steady grip on the wheel, all the while watching the evil sea monster. The distance had cut in half as it whizzed her way, and all she could see were the slimy green tentacles that were at least the length of her ship and the giant eye that held malice within them.

"Stay calm. Think. What can I use?"

Torpedoes. She had been meaning to upgrade her launching mechanisms, which had begun to wear out (mostly from chasing Linebeck) but her machinery had not failed on her yet, so it was the way to go. She made a hard right, in order to be directly facing the monster, and her hand shot out to the lever beside the wheel. A whooshing sound was heard as a torpedo flew out of the ship and raced towards the monster. A small smirk grew on Jolene's face; maybe there would be no need for the harpoon.

However, that smile did not last long, for it immediately fell off and hit the floor as a shocked Jolene witnessed the monster snatch the torpedo with one tentacle as if it were a miniscule piece of debris, raised the yet-to-ignite weapon, and then flung it full speed at the ship.

"I got the harp-GAH!" Linebeck, who had just returned from the cabins, toppled over as the torpedo struck a blow on the S. S. Jolene. The captain herself nearly fell over, but her grip on the wheel did not loosen. Whatever happened, she could not lose control of her ship.

Smoldering pieces of the partially burning hull were sent flying onto the upper deck, where Jolene pulled herself to her feet. "Linebeck! Get up here!" She growled as she sent a menacing glare at the nearing sea monster. If it could just pluck the torpedoes out of the water, how would she be able to defeat the monster?

Linebeck scampered up the stairs to her with a wild, scared look in his eyes. He had seen monsters much bigger than the one attacking them, but he usually had Link there to fight them off. This time it was just him and Jolene.

And he hoped Jolene had practiced using her sword.

"My torpedoes can't hurt him, so using them is not an option. However…" Her eyes narrowed, "It only has one eye, so if one of us can distract him somehow, the other one can stab the eye and ward him off. It won't attack what it can't see."

"Who is going to d-distract him?"

"I think we both know who that is." She glared at him to emphasize her point, "I'm locking the wheel, so we can fight while the ship sails straight. Just run around to keep its eye on you. Oh, and don't be a coward, Linebeck." The pirate yanked two metal clamps down on the wheel just before the ship lurched forward.

It had come.

Everything around them grew dark as the waves started thrashing around. The vicious monster let out a roar that seared the air as it began wrapping its arms around the ship in an effort to snap it. Jolene nodded at Linebeck, and in an instant she brandished her scimitar while he wielded his harpoon, both with their gazes upon the monster.

"NOW!"

Jumping down to the lower deck, Jolene stuck the hilt of her sword in her mouth and leaped onto a swaying rope tied to the mast. As she began climbing, she heard the petrified shrieks of Linebeck, which caused her to glance quickly over her shoulder. A tentacle swooped across the upper deck as it tried to catch Linebeck in its hold, however he did what he did best: run in the opposite direction.

"AAAH!" The arm missed Linebeck, who zoomed to the lower deck and screamed, "HURRY UP, JOLENE!"

A million curses went through her mind as adrenaline rushed through her veins and she climbed faster. The arms of the sea monster rocked the ship, tipping it dangerously to the right, where the monster's eye fixed itself upon an unknowing Jolene. Linebeck, who started losing his balance as the ship tipped, tried to avoid the barrels on the deck that fell over and began rolling towards him, only to end up falling flat on his back. It wasn't until he opened his eyes from the impact that he noticed that Jolene had been dangling right over the monster, which opened its mouth to reveal a set of sharp teeth and a green, pointed tongue.

"JOLENE, WATCH OUT!"

A tentacle came out of nowhere and flew towards Jolene, who caught sight of the massive arm and almost instinctively freed one of her hands from the rope, yanked her sword from her mouth and slashed the appendage in half, causing a screech to erupt from the monster. Green ooze gushed from the wound as the arm lashed violently at the rope, causing it to whip Jolene off. She slammed onto the lower deck and her sword flew out of reach.

The threatening glare of the angered monster was now upon the weakened Jolene. The disoriented pirate just barely sat upright, placing a hand on her throbbing head, only to feel a warm, thick liquid trickle down the side of her head. There was nothing but darkness; no thought existed anymore. The monster didn't exist, Linebeck didn't exist, the ship didn't exist.

"I-I'm sleepy…"

Slumber was beckoning to her, and her eyelids drooped drowsily. Even as the menacing beast raised its tentacles before her, ready to crush the pirate, she could not register any threats. There was just her and the isle of slumber. That was it.

"JOLENE!"

Within the darkness that crowded her thoughts, a shriek pierced through, like a light arrow. All of a sudden, a connection to reality was made within her mind, and the brunette slowly raised her glazed eyes to meet the terrifying, oozing tentacles that surrounded her.

"J-Jolene! Get out of the way! Get out! Jolene!"

Each scream resounded faintly within her mind. It was as if the world around her had been silenced, and all that really mattered was her and the monster that was about to crush her. The ominous whooshing noise caused by the raging waves filled this silent world, and time seemed to slow before Jolene's unclear gaze. She could feel her pulse beating ferociously within her veins, as if her heart would not allow her mind to sleep. Jolene locked her eyes on the monster, and with every heartbeat her hand crept closer to the sword that was just barely within her grasp.

The tentacles swarmed around her, blocking Linebeck's view of the pirate.

She was so close…

"Jolene? JOLENE!" Linebeck frantically yelled. His eyes widened as the monster's arms closed in around her.

The tips of her fingers touched the hilt…

"AAAH!"

Jolene let out a cry of fury as a fiery rush of adrenaline caused her to valiantly face the monster and begin to fight passionately. She had swiped the sword into her hand and fearlessly dodged the tentacles and sliced them with all her might. The monster screeched in pain and continued to attack Jolene, but those screeches turned into an unbearable scream, wherein the monster stopped combating Jolene and retracted its tentacles. Jolene stood with what little strength she had left and peered up at the twitching, yelling monster.

In its eye was a rusty harpoon.

And dangling on a rope by the mast, just above the monster, was Linebeck.

The monster's cries were drowned as it plunged back into the ocean and sank to the depths utterly defeated. The dark clouds corrupting the skies immediately began to clear, and the waters slowly began to calm.

Jolene couldn't believe it. Never in her whole lifetime did she ever think she would see the day when Linebeck, the most cowardly man to have ever sailed the seas, would save her life.

Said man was holding onto the rope for dear life. The ship had finally stabilized itself to a mostly level position, yet Linebeck shook as he glanced at the deck, which suddenly seemed so far away. As he scanned the ship, however, he glimpsed a nearly lifeless Jolene, who had limped to the upper deck, unlocked the wheel and draped her arms over it in exhaustion. Her breathing was heavy, with every gasp for air acting like a gulp of blue fire; icy and burning.

Her eyes flickered up to Linebeck.

"W-Well? Are…Are you…just going to stay up…there?" She said breathlessly. Linebeck attempted to descend the rope, though he stopped about halfway through.

"What's the matter? Does…the great Linebeck…have…a fear of heights?" Jolene scoffed, "Y-you defeated…a sea monster…yet you're afraid…of getting down from a rope?"

Gulping, Linebeck closed his eyes and scurried down the rope, hitting the ground before he even knew it. Somehow, they had managed to work as a team and ward off the monster. Somehow, in some way, Linebeck had felt the same adrenaline rush as Jolene and in their darkest moment he had scrambled up the rope and flung his harpoon into the malicious eye of the monster.

"L-Linebeck…" Jolene's voice trailed off to a whisper as she slumped over the wheel, with her head bobbing up and down like a buoy in water.

"A-are you alright?" Linebeck started towards her, but she shook her head.

"N-no…get potions…"

Linebeck stopped. Usually, whenever Link was hurt, he would send the kid to lie down in bed before tending to his injuries. Jolene had blood dripping from her head and bruises forming all over her left arm, where she had hit the deck. No, potions alone wouldn't help.

Without a word, the tired man pulled Jolene's arm around his shoulder, ignoring the half-conscious mutterings that escaped her, and carefully brought her down to her cabin. Once there, he laid her down upon her bed and began rummaging through the room. As he searched, his face met up with his reflection.

"Geez…"

Though he wasn't as bad as Jolene, he was still cut up pretty badly. There were scuffs as red as his nose decorating his face and hiding behind the tears in his clothing. For a moment Linebeck admired this fearsome, manly look he achieved for himself, but Jolene's voice brought him back to reality.

"T-the bottom dresser…" She could not finish her sentence, but Linebeck figured it out. He yanked open the last drawer in Jolene's dresser to find an array of different colored potions, from red to blue to purple. Next to them were emergency essentials, such as gauze, disinfectant, needle and thread (eh, Linebeck wasn't one for stitching). The man yanked out a red potion bottle and some bandages and rushed back to Jolene, nearly tripping over himself in the process.

The ship was currently in a dangerous position; the captain was injured, it was locked by Linebeck so it would only sail straight and hit who knows how many rocks in the way, and it was damaged by the sea monster. If Linebeck didn't hurry up and patch up Jolene, this ship would sink before reaching the Isle of Ember.

Maybe from seeing Jolene in danger or because taking a swig of rum when finding the harpoon earlier had caused an instant feeling of determination to pin into his chest. "There's work to be done…" He thought as he yanked open the potion bottle and handed it to Jolene, who weakly grasped the bottle and began to drink. As she did, Linebeck hesitantly pulled out some gauze and glanced at her head.

"Just give it to me." She spoke bitterly.

"I-I don't think y-you can-"

"You think I'm too weak? You don't know me at all, Linebeck. Give me the gauze." When Linebeck gave her a look of uncertainty, she grabbed his sleeve with all the strength she had left and glared at him.

"Listen, 'cause I'm only saying this once! Get yourself up to the deck and steer my ship towards that damned island!"

"B-but-"

"Do you want to find that kid?"

Linebeck froze for a moment, staring at that scary expression on her face that could rival the monster's frightfulness. He nodded and rose slowly, with Jolene watching his every step. Linebeck crossed the room, and with one last peek at her over his shoulder, he disappeared to do what he was told.

He wanted to tell himself that it was bravery, not fear, what caused him to save Jolene. But how could he explain bravery when he couldn't even explain his own actions? Why did he not run when he saw the monster? Perhaps he felt he needed to defend the ship, because he needed to go find Link and continue their journey. No, even this could not be true, for Linebeck had only been thinking of one thing when he saw the monster tentacles: Jolene. All thoughts of the kid and their adventure and his ship went out the window as he saw the dark clouds, heard the scream, and bolted for the rope. For some reason, he felt he needed to save the she-pirate.

Yes, fighting the monster was scary. Yes, Jolene was also scary. These were already confirmed things in Linebeck's book, but it was not the monster or Jolene's angry disposition that made the man so troubled. Seeing Jolene nearly becoming devoured by a monster had instilled the strongest sense of fear within Linebeck that he impulsively jumped up the rope and did his noble deed. It was that fear that had driven him to do it. At that moment, Linebeck had truly realized what a strong and intense emotion fear was; that it was so powerful it had forced him to do something he himself never believed was possible for him to do. And that was what scared him. He was terrified during the whole ordeal, yet even the vastly different dread of Jolene's wrath had always caused him to do something he shouldn't do. Truth be told, he wanted to be brave. It was just that fear manipulated him into doing things differently.

The captain sighed as he unlocked the wheel and stared at the seagulls hovering above the ship.

Linebeck hated fear.


End file.
